The invention relates to electric switches in general, and more particularly to improvements in housings for electric switches, e.g., snap action switches which are carried by a mounting plate and include switching units which are connected with a circuit board.
Various signal transmitting, signal displaying, signal processing and other modules which are connected to or are incorporated into a circuit board are often controlled by electric switches which are carried by a mounting plate. The mounting plate can constitute an electrical switchboard or panel, an electrical control panel or part of a switchboard gallery. Portions of the switches normally extend a predetermined distance from the front side of the mounting plate so as to be reachable by hand or otherwise for actuation of the selected switch or switches. Those portions of the switches which are located behind the mounting plate occupy a certain amount of space and, if such portions are connected to a circuit board, the latter must be disposed at a predetermined distance from the mounting plate. At the present time, proper spacing of the mounting plate from the circuit board is ensured by resorting to distancing elements in the form of bolts or the like. The application of discrete distancing elements, in addition to installation of the switches, is a time-consuming operation. Moreover, if the distancing elements are too short or too long or are deformed subsequent to their application, the distance of the circuit board from the mounting plate departs from an optimum distance which can adversely affect the actuation of switches. For example, the actuating parts in one of the switches will then cover a first distance in order to actuate the switching unit of the respective switch, and the actuating parts in another switch housing will cover a different (greater or lesser) second distance in order to effect actuation of the corresponding switching unit.